DC Special

Not to be confused with DC Special Series.
DC Special

Cover of DC Special #1 (December 1968).
Art by Carmine Infantino.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
Schedule Quarterly, then bi-monthly
Format Ongoing
Genre
    Publication date December 1968 – November/December 1971
    Spring 1975 – August/September 1977
    Number of issues 29
    Creative team
    Writer(s)
    Penciller(s)
    Inker(s)
    Colorist(s)
    Editor(s)

    DC Special was a comic book anthology series published by DC Comics originally from 1968 to 1971; it resumed publication from 1975 to 1977. For the most part, DC Special was a theme-based reprint title, mostly focusing on stories from DC's Golden Age; at the end of its run it published a few original stories.

    Publication history

    DC Special began publication with an issue focusing on the work of artist Carmine Infantino and cover dated October-December 1968.[1] Some of the themes the title covered were special issues devoted to individual artists such as Infantino and Joe Kubert, strange sports stories, origins of super-villains, and stories of historical adventurers like Robin Hood and the Three Musketeers. Issue #4 featured many supernatural characters and was the first appearance of Abel, who later went on (along with his brother Cain) to become a major character in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. The series was cancelled with issue #15 (November-December 1971).[1] It was revived four years later and continued the numbering of the original series.[2]

    With DC Special's cancellation following issue #29 (Aug.-Sept. 1977),[2] DC immediately begin publishing the umbrella one-shot title DC Special Series, which lasted until Fall 1981.

    The issues

    Issue Title Date Notes
    1 All-Infantino Issue Fall 1968 Reprints The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #29, The Brave and the Bold #45, Detective Comics #327, The Flash #148, and Mystery in Space #57
    2 Top Teen Favorites Winter 1969 Reprints Everything Happens to Harvey #4
    3 All-Girl Issue Spring 1969 Reprints stories from Action Comics #304, Green Lantern #16, and Strange Adventures #18
    4 13 Shock-Ending Stories July/Sept. 1969 Original framing story followed by reprints from House of Mystery #2, 5, 15, 19, 26, 30, 62-63, 68; Sensation Comics #114; and Tales of the Unexpected #1, 16-17.
    First appearance of Abel (of Cain and Abel).
    5 The Secret Lives of Joe Kubert Fall 1969 Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #18, 35; Our Army at War #113; and Showcase #2
    6 The Wild Frontier! Winter 1970 Reprints stories from Detective Comics #178; Frontier Fighters #4, 6; The Legends of Daniel Boone #1; and World's Finest Comics #69
    7 Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! Spring 1970 Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #45-46, 48-49; and Mystery in Space #39
    8 Wanted! The World's Most Dangerous Villains Summer 1970 Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #36, The Flash #130, Green Lantern #7, and World's Finest Comics #129
    9 Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! Fall 1970 Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #45-48
    10 Stop!... You Can't Beat The Law! Jan./Feb. 1971 Reprints stories from Gang Busters #33, 40, 58, 61, 65; and Showcase #1, 5
    11 Beware... The Monsters Are Here! March/April 1971 Reprints House of Mystery #70, 85, 97, 113, 116, and 175
    12 The Viking Prince May/June 1971 Also featuring the Silent Knight, Robin Hood, and the Golden Gladiator.
    Reprints The Brave and the Bold #1, 5, 9, and 16
    13 Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! July/Aug. 1971 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #47, 49; Mystery in Space #7, 9; and Strange Adventures #94, 125
    14 Wanted! The World's Most Dangerous Villains! Sept./Oct. 1971 Reprints The Flash #140, Superman #47, and World's Finest Comics #55
    15 Plastic Man Nov./Dec. 1971 Reprints Plastic Man #17, 25-26; and Police Comics #1, 13
    16 Super-Heroes Battle Super-Gorillas Spring 1975 Reprints Detective Comics #339, The Flash #127, Superman #138, and Wonder Woman #170
    17 Presents Green Lantern Summer 1975 Reprints Green Lantern #2, 6, and 26
    18 Presents... Earth Shaking Stories Oct./Nov. 1975 Reprints Action Comics #342, Captain Marvel Adventures #122, and Green Lantern #43
    19 War Against the Giants Dec. 1975/Jan. 1976 Reprints Action Comics #343, Green Lantern #53, Strange Adventures #28, and Wonder Woman #106
    20 Green Lantern Feb./March 1976 Reprints Green Lantern #2, 8, and 30
    21 Super-Heroes' War Against the Monsters April/May 1976 Reprints Action Comics #326, Green Lantern #3, Marvel Family #7, and Star Spangled War Stories #132
    22 The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood June/July 1976 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #6, and Robin Hood Tales #14
    23 The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood Aug./Sept. 1976 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #9, and Robin Hood Tales #7
    24 The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood Oct./Nov. 1976 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #11 and 15
    25 The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood Dec. 1976/Jan. 1977 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #7-8, and 15
    26 Enemy Ace Feb./March 1977 Reprints Our Army at War #151, and Star Spangled War Stories #143
    27 Danger: Dinosaurs at Large! April/May 1977 Original Captain Comet and Tommy Tomorrow story
    28 Earth Shattering Disasters June/July 1977 Original stories featuring Batman, Aquaman, and the Legion of Super-Heroes
    29 The Untold Origin of the Justice Society Aug./Sept. 1977 Original story about the Justice Society of America[3]

    Collected editions

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 DC Special at the Grand Comics Database
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 DC Special revival at the Grand Comics Database
    3. ↑ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. The genesis of comics' first superhero team...had been a mystery since the JSA's debut...Writer Paul Levitz and artist Joe Staton decided to present the definitive origin story.

    External links